WHERE GOD LIVES (A Book Report) Melvin D. Morse, MD        Since I have written previous reports about linkage of a certain part of the brain with the ability to experience the mystical and spiritual, it follows that I would at least look at a book like this. “In ‘Where God Lives,’ the right temporal lobe will be shown to function as a ‘paranormal’ area, which gives us such abilities as mind-body healing, telepathy, and the ability to communicate with God.” (p. 3)        To experience moments of wonder, special insight, mystery and other “paranormal” feelings is virtually universal. We are wired for it. The basic question is whether this links to “God,” or rather stirs the feeling of spiritual presence.        It doesn’t matter too much for those who experience such moments. Like the author, who is not religious, but who experienced healing through prayer. His conclusion is that he found a way to be in touch with God.         As a Pediatrician, Dr. Morse has had access the children and their reports of near death experiences (NDA). From them he became convinced of a link between conscious life and life outside ourselves in the universe.        There are some great insights in the book, mostly pretty common sense and simple. For instance “The Ten Secrets of the Transformed.” What do they do?        1. Exercise, 2. Meditate, 3. Relationships, 4.Trust vision and intuition, 5. Service, 6.   Budget, 7. Diet, 8. Prayer, 9. Love, 10. Spirituality (pp. 31-34)        He also offers 10 quite similar rules for good health (“Morphic ground rules”):  1. Have lots of friends and connect to a social network.  2. Turn off the verbal mind for a while.  3. Use patterns and habits to influence your health  4. Have absolute faith in a belief system and stick to it  5. Stress in our lives is not a health risk factor  6. Anger kills and love heals  7. We need to have regular hugs and touches  8. Don’t learn to be ill; teach yourself and your children to be well  9. Learn to meditate or pray regularly 10. Practice optimism (pp. 140-148)        Don’t we all know these things? Don’t people who have no thought or belief about God also follow these practices to good benefit? Could it not also be possible that this “God spot” in our brain is the link between our spirit/mind self and the rest of our body? Does Dr. Morse think of God as “out there” someplace, interacting with us on command?        It’s an interesting book, but should be read with the left brain still in gear. I am suspicious that what people call “meeting God” may be an opening into a part of our existence that is common to the human species. Many question the idea of God as separated from us or anything. Or, maybe that is what Dr. Morse has is mind.        It’s an easy read, anecdotal, and interesting. You don’t have to believe everything Dr. Morse believes in order to find some healing practices that work.  — Art Morgan, Summer 2001